To repeal section 273.345, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to the
puppy mill cruelty prevention act, with an existing penalty provision.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Section 273.345, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu
thereof, to be known as section 273.345, to read as follows:

273.345. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Puppy Mill Cruelty
Prevention Act."

2. The purpose of this act is to prohibit the cruel and inhumane treatment of dogs in
puppy mills by requiring large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care
with basic food and water, adequate shelter from the elements, necessary veterinary care,
adequate space to turn around and stretch his or her limbs, and regular exercise.

3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any person having custody or ownership
of more than ten female covered dogs for the purpose of breeding those animals and selling any
offspring for use as a pet shall provide each covered dog:

(1) Sufficient food and clean water;

(2) Necessary veterinary care;

(3) Sufficient housing, including protection from the elements;

(4) Sufficient space to turn and stretch freely, lie down, and fully extend his or her limbs;

(5) Regular exercise; and

(6) Adequate rest between breeding cycles.

4. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person may have custody of more than
fifty covered dogs for the purpose of breeding those animals and selling any offspring for use as
a pet.

5. For purposes of this section and notwithstanding the provisions of section 273.325,
the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) "Adequate rest between breeding cycles" means, at minimum, ensuring that dogs are
not bred to produce more than two litters in any eighteen-month period;

(2) "Covered dog" means any individual of the species of the domestic dog, Canis lupus
familiaris, or resultant hybrids, that is over the age of six months and has intact sexual organs;

(3) "Necessary veterinary care" means, at minimum, examination at least once yearly by
a licensed veterinarian, prompt treatment of any illness or injury by a licensed veterinarian, and
where needed, humane euthanasia by a licensed veterinarian using lawful techniques deemed
acceptable by the American Veterinary Medical Association;

(5) "Pet" means any domesticated animal normally maintained in or near the household
of the owner thereof;

(6) "Regular exercise" means constant and unfettered access to an outdoor exercise area
that is composed of a solid ground- level surface with adequate drainage, provides some
protection against sun, wind, rain, and snow, and provides each dog at least twice the square
footage of the indoor floor space provided to that dog;

(7) "Retail pet store" means a person or retail establishment open to the public where
dogs are bought, sold, exchanged, or offered for retail sale directly to the public to be kept as
pets, but that does not engage in any breeding of dogs for the purpose of selling any offspring
for use as a pet;

(8) "Sufficient food and clean water" means access to appropriate nutritious food at least
once a day sufficient to maintain good health, and continuous access to potable water that is not
frozen and is free of debris, feces, algae, and other contaminants;

(9) "Sufficient housing, including protection from the elements" means constant and
unfettered access to an indoor enclosure that has a solid floor, is not stacked or otherwise placed
on top of or below another animal's enclosure, is cleaned of waste at least once a day while the
dog is outside the enclosure, and does not fall below forty-five degrees Fahrenheit, or rise above
eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit;

(10) "Sufficient space to turn and stretch freely, lie down, and fully extend his or her
limbs" means having:

(a) Sufficient indoor space for each dog to turn in a complete circle without any
impediment (including a tether);

(b) Enough indoor space for each dog to lie down and fully extend his or her limbs and
stretch freely without touching the side of an enclosure or another dog;

(c) At least one foot of headroom above the head of the tallest dog in the enclosure; and

(d) At least twelve square feet of indoor floor space per each dog up to twenty-five
inches long, at least twenty square feet of indoor floor space per each dog between twenty-five
and thirty-five inches long, and at least thirty square feet of indoor floor space per each dog for
dogs thirty-five inches and longer (with the length of the dog measured from the tip of the nose
to the base of the tail).

6. A person is guilty of the crime of puppy mill cruelty when he or she knowingly
violates any provision of this section. The crime of puppy mill cruelty is a class C misdemeanor,
unless the defendant has previously pled guilty to or been found guilty of a violation of this
section, in which case each such violation is a class A misdemeanor. Each violation of this
section shall constitute a separate offense. If any violation of this section meets the definition
of animal abuse in section 578.012, the defendant may be charged and penalized under that
section instead.

7. The provisions of this section are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other state and
federal laws protecting animal welfare. This section shall not be construed to limit any state law
or regulation protecting the welfare of animals, nor shall anything in this section prevent a local
governing body from adopting and enforcing its own animal welfare laws and regulations in
addition to this section. This section shall not be construed to place any numerical limits on the
number of dogs a person may own or control when such dogs are not used for breeding those
animals and selling any offspring for use as a pet. This section shall not apply to a dog during
examination, testing, operation, recuperation, or other individual treatment for veterinary
purposes, during lawful scientific research, during transportation, during cleaning of a dog's
enclosure, during supervised outdoor exercise, or during any emergency that places a dog's life
in imminent danger. This section shall not apply to any retail pet store, animal shelter as defined
in section 273.325, hobby or show breeders who have custody of no more than ten female
covered dogs for the purpose of breeding those dogs and selling any offspring for use as a pet,
or dog trainer who does not breed and sell any dogs for use as a pet. Nothing in this section shall
be construed to limit hunting or the ability to breed, raise, or sell hunting dogs.

8. The provisions of this section shall not apply to shelters, pounds, kennels, pet
shops, facilities, dealers, and breeders licensed under the provisions of sections 273.325 to
273.357 prior to November 2, 2011. All entities licensed under sections 273.325 to 273.357
after November 2, 2011, shall be subject to the provisions of this section.

9. If any provision of this section, or the application thereof to any person or
circumstances, is held invalid or unconstitutional, that invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not
affect other provisions or applications of this section that can be given effect without the invalid
or unconstitutional provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this section are
severable.

[9.]10. The provisions herewith shall become operative [one year after passage of this
act]November 2, 2011.